


A Thursday of Minor Record

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Barson, F/M, Family Feels, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-17 17:59:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18103583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: The prompt was Barson and forehead kisses. I have sprinkled liberally with family feels.





	A Thursday of Minor Record

**Author's Note:**

> Love to my beta, whose name I cannot spell without checking.

He loses. Badly. It hurts worse because their case was good. But the jury couldn't see past the survivor being a sex worker. Rafael takes his time packing up. He listens to the jury file out. He does his best to block out the sounds of the defense attorney and his client celebrating. He nods when Carisi comes through the gate to pat him on the shoulder and tell him he did his best. Rollins is with him. She gives him a quick, tight smile, and they leave. 

He wonders, briefly, if they're off to another case, something simpler or harder. He spots Fin in the doorway, obviously waiting for the other two, and he reads the stress in his face. Harder, then. 

Rafael takes a deep breath, then lets it out. That's tomorrow's obstacle course. Tonight, he just wants to go home and think about nothing. 

"Hey," Liv says quietly from behind the rail. "I know it's a loss, but at least they hurried up, so we don't miss Noah's game."

Rafael laughs, a little drily, a lot exhausted, and turns to meet Liv's gaze. Her head's tilted as she watches him. He used to hate that look. That sympathetic, sweet look that said she knew he hurt. He rolls his neck and drops his shoulders, lets his body go loose with his disappointment. "It's bullshit," he says. 

"I know," she replies. She smiles faintly. "But sometimes, that's the job."

"Sometimes, that's the job," Rafael parrots back, not quite feeling it at the moment. He sighs and picks up his briefcase, crossing through the gate so he and Liv are toe-to-toe. "I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to be." She cups his face and bumps their noses. "You did everything you could, sweetheart. You fought so hard for Jessica, and you fought hard for every other sex worker who thought no one would listen. We didn't get a conviction, but you made the papers."

Rafael waves one finger in a circle sarcastically. "Yay." 

Liv's smile tips from sympathetic to lovingly annoyed. "Hey, don't undersell how much your publicity could help the next person who thinks no will listen decide to take a chance on us. On you."

"I know," Rafael says and drops his head. "I just need some more time before I can hear you."

"I know," Liv replies. She presses a kiss to his forehead, and Rafael lets it soothe him.

*

Noah screams when he spots them and runs halfway down the basketball court to throw himself against Rafael in joy. "Mom said you were coming, but I know sometimes you both say that and one of you can't make it, and I'm so glad you're here! I'm starting today! That means I get to play first, and I really, really, really want you to see me play first."

Rafael is still amazed in moments like this. Noah, seven and starting to get the spindly look of a kid who'll get taller before he gets wider, has taken to Rafael and Liv dating like he's expected it his whole life. Rafael, to his own surprise, has found it's easier to be a father figure than he's expected. He does his best to bring forward the best lessons from his mother and grandmother and leave his father's influence completely out of his mind. So far, so good. Noah worships him on a level that terrifies Rafael even as it makes Liv laugh. 

"I draw the line at matching suits," she'd told him the first time Noah asked if he could have ties and socks like Rafael. 

"Good thing we don't share a bank account," Rafael had replied.

"Not yet, maybe," Liv had said with a laugh, and Rafael had felt warm and content at the promise of it. 

"Olivia, it's good to see you!" a man in a polo shirt and jeans has come up behind Noah. He's got the trim, sharp look of a lifelong athlete who probably coaches actual teams when he's not volunteering for Noah's pee-wee squad.

"Damon, hi!" Liv says, leaning over to give him a quick hug. "I don't think you've met Rafael," Liv adds as she pulls away. "Rafael Barba, Damon Cottier. He's Noah's coach."

"The famous Rafael," Damon says as he holds out his hand. "Noah talks about you a lot."

"Not a _lot_ ," Noah says. "Just sometimes."

Rafael shifts his mouth so he doesn't smile at Noah's embarrassed tone. It doesn't escape him that Noah's still half-hugging him. "Well, that's good to hear," he tells Noah. "Because I've been told I talk about you a lot."

"All the time," Liv adds.

Noah's face lights up like it's Christmas. "Yeah?"

"Yup." Rafael says. He tousles Noah's hair and leans down to kiss him quick on the head. "Now, go play first so I have more to talk about, okay?"

"Okay!" Noah pulls away, then stops. "What if we don't win?"

"Hey, a game's a game," Rafael replies. "There's always something to talk about."

Noah perks up again. He hugs Liv, who also kisses him on the top of the head, and then he runs back down the line to his team. 

"Any idea which kid on the team has a parent whose taught him he can only talk about his game if he wins?"

Liv gives him a knowing look as they step up into the bleachers and find a seat. "Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."

"I just want to talk," Rafael says, layering on the faux-innocence to make Liv laugh. 

"Oh, Liv! Hi!" A woman in a blue sweatshirt steps down the bleachers to sit on the other side of Olivia. "It's so good to see you!"

"Hi, Terry." 

Terry looks around Liv, giving Rafael a hilariously overdramatic once over. "Are you really here, Rafael, or did you discover holographic technology?"

"In the flesh," Rafael assures as he removes his suit jacket and goes for his tie. "Hold your applause."

Terry laughs lightly. "It's good to see you."

"You, too," Rafael replies. He genuinely likes her.

"Anyway, just wanted to say hi. Let's plan something next week if you have time," Terry says to Liv. "I got the chocolate sauce off the ceiling from the last sleepover, which means it's time for another."

"I think it's my turn to get my kitchen raided," Liv says. 

"No, it's Izzy's," Terry replies with the supreme knowledge of the mom in charge of the team phone tree. "I'll get a group text going. Good to see you."

"You too," Liv and Rafael chorus.

When Terry walks back to her seat, Liv scoots closer to Rafael and winds both arms around his left elbow. "Hi," she says softly. 

Rafael turns and presses a kiss to her forehead. "Hi."

A whistle blows, and the scoreboard lights up, and Rafael and Liv both turn and cheer as Noah and his team jog onto the court. 

*

Noah's team loses by two points, and he looks absolutely crushed by the defeat. He sits across from Liv and Rafael at the restaurant and merely picks at his food. 

"You did really, really well," Liv says.

"I know," Noah replies, so dejected he seems have have shrunk.

Rafael slides his drink over towards Liv, then leans forward so his chin is resting on his hands on the table. "Hey, Noah?"

"Yeah?"

"I lost today, too."

Noah glances up through the fringe of his hair. "Did you lose as bad as we did?"

Rafael sighs deeply. "Yeah, I did. I tried my hardest and did everything I was ever taught, and I still lost."

"That sucks."

"Yeah, it does."

"But sometimes you lose even when you try your hardest," Liv says to Noah, though the hand she presses between Rafael's shoulders sends the same message. "And it's okay to lose sometimes as long as you were trying."

Noah gives them both a small smile. "Okay," he says. 

A minute later, he starts to eat.

*

Rafael's last to bed that night. It's his turn to read Noah a chapter of _The Giver_ , and Liv says she'll meet him after they're done.

"Do you think he'll see other colors?" Noah asks as Rafael closes the book.

"I don't know," Rafael replies. "But I bet we'll know by the end of the book."

"Why did he see red first? Why not yellow?"

"I don't know. But how about we both think about it, okay?"

"I bet you'd see purple first," Noah says as he wiggles under the covers getting comfortable. "You wear a lot of purple."

"I do," Rafael agrees. "I bet you'd see yellow." He tugs lightly at the yellow T-shirt Noah is wearing to bed. 

"I have another question," Noah says, suddenly sitting up straight.

Rafael, halfway to standing, sits back down on the bed. Noah looks serious and determined and maybe a little scared. "What is it?" he asks. 

"I know you don't live with us, and you and Mom aren't married, but sometimes parents don't live together and sometimes they're not married and I know you're Uncle Rafael but you're not really my uncle like how Uncle Sonny and Uncle Fin aren't my uncles but are my uncles, and how Aunt Amanda isn't my aunt and is my aunt and Jesse and Billie aren't real cousins like how Peter in my class has four cousins because all their moms are sisters, but Mom says we're all family in our hearts and that's what all families really are, and in my heart I keep calling you Dad. In my head, too, but also in my heart. Like, I think about calling you Dad and my heart gets really fast, and my brain speeds up. And I'd really like to call you Dad even if I'm not your son like other kids are other dads' sons."

Rafael barely realizes that Noah's done with the speech he's clearly prepared. His breath has been punched from his lungs, and it takes him a moment to nod and say, "Yeah. I'd like that a lot. Yeah, Noah, that'd be just fine."

"Okay!" Noah bounces and leans over and hugs Rafael tight. "I knew you'd say yes!" he whispers into Rafael's chest. 

Rafael hugs him back. "I was hoping you'd ask," he whispers into Noah's hair as he realizes that, yes, he's been _hoping_ for this exact moment. Even if he's never let it really enter his mind. 

"You can tell Mom," Noah says as he pulls away. "I know she'll be happy about it."

"Okay," Rafael replies, still dazed. "I'll do that." He gets Noah tucked in on autopilot and goes through his evening routine in a daze. He brushes his teeth, double-checks the locks, and walks into the bedroom to find Liv still awake and reading a book. 

"Hey," she says. "You know how I was worried that maybe _The Giver_ would be too much for him because of the ending? I think it's actually a pretty good book to talk more about what we discussed--" Liv stops and looks at him, eyes narrowed. She takes off her reading glasses and tilts her head. "Rafa? Are you okay?"

Rafael walks to her side of the bed, leans down, and presses a kiss to her forehead. He sits and stares at her for a moment. "He wants to call me Dad," he whispers.

Liv blinks, and her smile goes wide. "Oh my god! He asked you?"

"He did. He had a whole speech." Rafael shakes his head, then looks down at his hands. "Liv. I mean. I said yes, of course. But I don't--" He runs out of words. "Liv."

"Rafa," she says softly, cupping his face and bringing him close. 

They kiss. It's tender and warm and loving and everything Liv's always given him. Rafael pulls away slowly and pushes her hair away from her face. "Move in with me. Marry me. Either. Both. I don't care. Noah doesn't care. It was in his speech. But, Liv, the two of you are the greatest part of my day no matter how shit my day goes. I want to come home to you both all the time. I have for a long time."

"You're my son's dad," Olivia says, tears shining in her eyes. "And you're the love of my life. Let's do it all."

Rafael chuckles wetly and kisses her again. They laugh, and they cry, and then they get up together and wake Noah so they can celebrate all the good news. Noah gets up so fast he tangles himself in his sheets, and Liv and Rafael both help their son get to his feet.


End file.
